Only a Dream
by Anybodys
Summary: Leia seeks Han out one night.  Set on Hoth before ESB.


A silhouette of a small figure flashed against the wall as the door behind him opened up. Unaware, he just lied there, his feet resting on the table in front of him and his head leaned back on crossed arms. The figure took a step forward, the floor giving a small moan. The noise crossed his ears, and he opened his eyes, looking over his shoulder. There stood a small figure of a woman, her hair loose and curving around her face at odd angles. Her eyes were puffy, making her appear as if she were crying or didn't get enough sleep. She wrapped her pallid arms around herself, her light, creamy nightgown sweeping around her ankles before taking another step forward.

"What are you doing up, Princess?" He swiveled his chair around, focusing in on her.

Clearing her throat, she answered, "Just trying to find you."

"At this time at night?" He gave a small grin. "Am I that irresistible?"

A smile flashed for a fraction of a second before her eyes went hollow again, glancing around the room. Han sat silent, staring at her delicate figure before shifting his eyes back up to her face. "Aren't you cold, Princess?"

"What?" Her eyes stopped drifting around the room to look at him.

He patted his knee. "Aren't you cold?" he repeated.

After a couple of seconds she gave a small nod. Han smiled weakly and patted his knee again. Slowly, she shuffled forward before balancing her body on his knee. Arms enclosed around her again, only this time it was the strong arms of a smuggler who cared. He tugged slightly, bringing her head to his chest. Leia shifted her body weight so she was relying fully on his chest and abdomen. Dancing his fingers through her hair, he asked, "Why are you up?"

She stayed silent, much like she did earlier, before answering. "I couldn't go to sleep."

_Figures_, he thought. His hand went to the top of her head and slid down before repeating itself again. While he was stroking her hair, he asked, "And why couldn't you go to sleep?"

"Nightmare," she murmured, much quicker than her previous answers. Han closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair again. Was that why she was looking so pale?

"Do you feel sick any?" Han questioned softly.

"Not really," she replied. Silence surrounded them; the only thing going between them was Han's strokes. "Why do you ask?"

"You looked really pale." There was no sense hiding the truth. It's not like her self-esteem was going to crumble if he said that.

"Do I?" The words escaped her lips hoarsely.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her up and then turning her around on his knee. Her eyes grew wide as he stared intently into hers, his lips pressed together. "Are you sure you're okay?" he repeated after surveying her for a minute.

"Yes," she whispered. Han pulled her to his chest again, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"You don't sound it, either," he commented.

"I'm just tired," she mumbled.

"Then go to sleep."

"I can't." Han chuckled, his eyes filling up with amusement. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"You come to me, tell me you can't sleep, then tell me you're tired, and when I suggest you sleep, you can't sleep again." He smiled into the darkness.

Leia's eyes closed as she responded, "It's just—the nightmare I had."

"Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to scare off the bogeyman?"

She twisted around to face him. "Han," was all she said. He gave a small smile.

"Sorry," he said, pushing her back onto his chest again.

No words came after that. He just played with her hair, intoxicated by the scent. After a while, he began to doze off, only to be awakened by a jolt by his body. Jerking his eyes open, he looked down to see Leia having some sort of fit, her arms slapping against his and her legs kicking the air.

"Leia, Leia!" he exclaimed, spinning her body around to face her again. Her eyes sprang open, looking so colorful compared to how white her skin was. Color started seeping back into her face, but not much. At least she didn't look so ghost-like anymore. The frightened eyes widened as tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks. She gave a sob and buried her head into his chest. He placed an arm around the back, the other stroking her head again. "It's okay, sweetheart," he consoled, placing his chin on her head. "I'm right here. Everything's okay."

"No it's not," she choked out.

"Leia, honey, it was only a dream," he informed, hugging her tighter.

Her sobs decreased into sniffs before she glanced up at him. She rubbed her eyes, murmuring, "It was only a dream, it was only a dream…."

"It's okay," he whispered.

A dazed look came in Leia's eyes as she leaned forward, her lips slightly parted. Her face drew nearer to his, eyes closed, until she was a few inches from his lips. She hesitated, and opening her eyes again, she drew back and rested her head and hands on his chest. "Only a dream," she said in a barely audible voice.

"Are you alright?" Han asked gently.

"Oh, Han, you were dead!" she wailed. "You an—and Luke and Ch—Chewie…."

The words touched Han's heart; under all the stubbornness and sarcasm, she deeply cared for all of them. Luke and Chewbacca weren't surprising, but his name made him raise an eyebrow. Could there be something more?

He decided to drop the thought and focus on her right now. Leia's shoulders still shook and he felt hot tears seep through his shirt, but he let her keep crying. How else could she get over it if she couldn't get it all out?

"Leia," he murmured, lifting her so she was sitting straight up on his knee. His hand grasped her chin as he held it still to stare at her face. He took his other hand and wiped the tears away. "It's only a dream. I'm never going to leave you. Luke and Chewie and that R2 unit and the Professor—we're not going to leave you." His hand that were soaking the tears brushed up to her hair, tangling his fingers in it. "Why would we leave you?" he continued. "Are you going to feed us to the that creature in the trash compactor?"

Leia gave a faint smile as another tear found its way down her cheek. "I'm right here," Han whispered. Leia leaned closer to him again as she had earlier and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You missed," he murmured.

She grinned. "Not today, flyboy." Once again, her head found its way to his chest, and she leaned back, her arms circling around his neck. He listened to her breathing become steady and slow, and when he looked down, she was asleep. Lifting her up, he walked down the hallway to her room and sat down on her bed. Hesitant, he bent over her, his face ever closer than hers was to his before, and he placed his lips on hers for a second or two before yanking his head up.

Her eyes cracked open. "What was that?"

"Hmm? Nothing happened."

"Liar." She smiled as her head drooped down and her body grew calm. His hands drifted to hers, unlocking them from his neck and lying her down on the bed. When he was finished straightening her body out and covering her up, he headed out the door only to hear a faint whisper: "Han."

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Can… can you just stay here for the night incase the nightmares come again?"

The thought lightened Han's mind, but he had to stay modest for once. "Wouldn't that ruin your image? A smuggler discovered in bed with a princess?"

Leia rolled onto her side. "We're not doing anything bad. You're just making sure I'm okay."

Han considered that for a moment although he had made up his mind a minute ago. "I guess there are no rules against that, are there?" He climbed into bed with her, locking her arms around her waist and pulling her head against his chest like he had done not to long ago.

Almost instantly she fell asleep, not bothered once by the nightmares while in Han's arms. It took him much longer to go asleep, but as consciousness clashed with sleep, her words echoed in his head.

_Only a dream… only a dream…. _


End file.
